2013 – Allergan LAP-BAND complication rate over 50% at 5 years

We are no longer accepting cases regarding these products. Due to a terrible Supreme Court ruling, consumers injured by this product are no longer permitted to sue the manufacturers of this device. We wish we could help, but the Supreme Court has taken the rights of citizens away to protect the profits of medical device manufacturers. For more information, please read the following New York Times article entitled “Medical Device Ruling Redraws Lines on Lawsuits.“

According to a 2013 study by SM Ayloo et al. published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases titled “Adjustable gastric banding: a comparison of models.”, “There are several models of adjustable gastric banding in use with little evidence for choosing a particular model.” As such, this study aimed to “evaluate factors for selecting a particular type of band in terms of weight loss, complications, and co-morbidities.”

Studying 222 patients who underwent gastric banding surgery between July 2006 and May 2012 by a single surgeon, this research team divided patients into six categories based on the type of device used: “27 LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System VG, 25 Allergan-LAGB, 20 LAP-BAND APM Standard, 18 LAP-BAND APM Large, 34 Realize Band, and 98 Realize-C band.”

Researchers write “At 60 months follow up, in the LAP-BAND VG Group, the mean [percent excess weight loss] was 41%, percentage of co-morbidity improvement was 66%, and percentage of complications was 14.3%; the same percentages in the Allergan-LAGB Group were 41%, 0%, and 52%, respectively; in the LAP-BAND AP Standard Group were 42%, 20%, and 40%, respectively; in the LAP-BAND AP Large group were 38% , 12.5%, and 27.8%, respectively (at 48 months); in the Realize Band Group were 37%, 60%, and 0%, respectively (at 48 months); and in the Realize-C Band Group were 48%,12.5%, and 12.2%, respectively (at 36 months).”

This study concluded that “short-term and long-term band-related complications occurred without any clear predilection” and “The port-related complications were significantly lower in the Realize bands.”

Overall, this study demonstrates both that the Allergan LAP-BAND system is more associated with complications than are Realize gastric banding systems, but also that the rates of Allergan LAP-BAND complications are higher than advertized in the Allergan LAP-BAND Warning Label.

As such, this article and ones like it may be used as evidence in an Allergan LAP-BAND lawsuit to demonstrate to court that Allergan knew, or should have known, the rate of complications associated with its product.

Our Allergan LAP-BAND Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about the Allergan LAP-BAND.

About this Blog

This blog chronicles legal and scientific news relating to personal injuries caused by defective drugs and medical devices. It is published by injury lawyer Justinian C. Lane, an attorney who takes a personal interest in each of his clients’ cases.